. The bird. Birds. 208 HARMONIES OF THE TEMPERATE ZONE. Indestructible vigour of the climates of the West ? Why doth this oak live through a thousand years ? Because it is ever young. It is the oak which chronicles the commencement of spring. For us the emotion of the new life does not begin when all nature clothes itself in the uniform verdure of the meaner vegetation. It commences only when we see the oak, from the woody foliage of the past, which it still retains, gathering its fresh leaves ; when the elm, permitting itself. to be outstripped by inferior trees, tints with a light green the
. The bird. Birds. 208 HARMONIES OF THE TEMPERATE ZONE. Indestructible vigour of the climates of the West ? Why doth this oak live through a thousand years ? Because it is ever young. It is the oak which chronicles the commencement of spring. For us the emotion of the new life does not begin when all nature clothes itself in the uniform verdure of the meaner vegetation. It commences only when we see the oak, from the woody foliage of the past, which it still retains, gathering its fresh leaves ; when the elm, permitting itself. to be outstripped by inferior trees, tints with a light green the severe delicacy of its airy branches, clearly defined against the skj^ Then, then. Nature speaks to aU—her potent voice troubles even the soul of sages. And why not ? Is she not holy ? And tliis sur- prising awakening, which has stirred life everywhere^—from the hard dumb heart of the oaks, even to their lofty crest, where the bird pours out its irladness—is it not, as it were, a return of God ?. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Michelet, Jules, 1798-1874; Giacomelli, Hector, 1822-1904. London ; New York : T. Nelson
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Keywords: ., bookauthormich, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbirds
